Francesco II Gonzaga

Francesco II Gonzaga (10 August 1466-29 March 1519) was the Marquess of Mantua from 1484 to 1519, succeeding Federico I Gonzaga and preceding Federico II Gonzaga.

Biography
Francesco II Gonzaga was born in Mantua in 1466, the son of Federico I Gonzaga. He served as a condottiero from 1489 to 1498, serving the Republic of Venice as a general; he also commanded the League of Venice's army at the Battle of Fornovo in 1495 during the Italian War of 1494-98. Later, he served as a general of Pope Julius II during his war with Venice during the War of the League of Cambrai. Gonzaga was captured during this war, and he was held hostage in Venice for several months and humiliated by them. He only became free after giving his son Federico II Gonzaga as hostage to Rome, leading to him refusing any further request to command the Papal armies. His wife Isabella d'Este governed Mantua while he was away on campaign, and she oversaw Mantua's growth as a center of the Renaissance. In 1503, however, Francesco began an affair with Lucrezia Borgia, and he died of syphilis contracted from prostitutes in 1519.